Identifying and choosing research projects: Getting out of the gates

YCC 12

Tim Elgren, telgren@hamilton.edu, Department of Chemistry, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Road, Clinton, NY 13323
A successful career in mentoring undergraduate research students hinges on choosing an appropriate research project. The goals should be clear from the outset. Expected outcomes may include publication, external funding, education of student collaborators, incorporation of new methodologies or techniques, etc. To incorporate undergraduates into a research program, care must be taken to identify aspects of a larger project that are accessible to them. The entire project need not be accessible to them, but crafting a well-defined project in which a student can take some ownership of the shape and direction of the effort will help pique their interest. Strategies for crafting such productive research programs will be discussed.